Larry Coryell — The Lift °° David Miller, a jazz critic from All About Jazz, in his review of Coryell concert at the Iridium, said:°° "This was jazz at its finest—complex and virtuosic yet easily accessible, at times intense, at others fun-filled, and always with the feeling of the unknown that comes with truly spontaneous and inspired improvisation. While the music was steeped in the bop tradition, the musicians continually found new ways to utilize the idiom. Few locations other than New York could host a powerhouse gathering of musical heavyweights of this order, and one can only hope that the shows have been recorded for a future release."Born:April 2, 1943, Galveston, Texas, United States Location:xxAlbum release:March 12, 2013Record Label: Wide Hive RecordsDuration: 52:14Tracks:01. Going Up 3:3202. Arena Blues 6:5303. The Lift 4:4704. Lafayette 3:3505. Clear Skies 3:4706. Rough Cut 3:5907. Alternative Recollection 4:5708. Broken Blues 3:2009. Counterweight 3:4510. Stadium Wave 5:4611. Wild Rye 4:0512. First Day of Autumn 3:50CREDITS:• Dwayne Carter Art Direction • Larry Coryell Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist • Tracey Coryell Composer • Jimmy Fontana Engineer • Gregory Howe Composer, Engineer, Photography, Producer • Matt Montgomery Bass, Composer • John Pierce Jr. Cover Photo • Chester Smith Organ • Justin Weiss MasteringWebsite: http://larrycoryell.net/

Description:°° Larry Coryell s third album on Wide Hive Records is simply astounding. On this throwback-style rock trio record, Larry delivers quintessential performances throughout all 12 tracks. Offering rock, blues, and soul-infused jazz, Larry is on his game with skills so amazing, it will make you seriously question how they could be the one-take performances they are. Guitarists take note: Larry s got game!Review°° As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock perhaps the pioneer in the ears of some Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. -- All Music Guide°° Larry Coryell s name isn´t bandied around much now, but in the 1970s he was almost as big a guitar star as John McLaughlin, and an equivalent influence on the development of early electric jazz-rock fusion ... Coryell s crackling uptempo bursts and engagingly rough-hewn energy give this familiar music a vividness and infectious enthusiasm. - THE GUARDIANREVIEWby S. Victor Aaron°° Recently I came across a video of televised performance featuring the Gary Burton Quartet, and its guitarist Larry Coryell was using his solo time to deliver some tasty licks that perfectly bridged the gap between rock guitar and jazz guitar. That might not sound like a unique skill among good guitarists today, but that performance was from 1967 and Coryell was around 24 years old at the time. Miles Davis was still in the middle of his all-acoustic Second Great Quintet and Bitches Brew was a couple of years away. Coryell went on to participate at the forefront of the fusion revolution as a solo artist and leading the Eleventh House fusion combo in the early 70s. Though he’s since built up equally impressive credentials as a post-bop guitarist, Coryell’s been in a fusion state of mind lately. He’s going to turn 70 next month but shows not even a trace of slowing down. If anything, he’s been revitalized on his Wide Hive records and his third one for the label is as raw and energetic as anything he’s done in a studio for decades. The Lift, as this latest one is called, scales back from the large, horn-laden backing band he used on 2011′s righteous Larry Coryell With The Wide Hive Players down to mostly just a tidy electric guitar/electric bass/drums unit. Matt Montgomery (bass) and Lumpy (drums) are the only other musicians present on the album, save for Chester Smith and his organ on three cuts.°° The performances here are raw, a natural outcome from these being single take recordings, and the warm, vintage analog sound captured by record label founder Gregory Howe. Even more credit for that rough-and-ready sound goes to Coryell himself, whose delightfully dirty tone and broken notes are his trademark, and it’s even more ragged on The Lift. °° These dozen tracks are essentially concise jams but each brings some kind of unique twist. “Going Up” utilizes an odd time signature (at one point, Lumpy slips in a 4/4 beat while Coryell continues to play the odd meter and somehow it still fits). The 9/8 strut of “Rough Cut” frames Coryell’s circular riff, as Smith improvises over that. The groove on “The Lift” is a lighter, jazzier one while the one on “Lafayette” is rubbery, “Wild Rye” is a straight rocker and “Stadium Wave” boasts a Latin flavor. Coryell plays the blues in his own way, too: “Arena Blues” is heavily psychedelic, his fuzzy notes bouncing off the walls of the studio, while “Broken Blues” rocks hard against a jazz swing beat. °° Coryell also dubs a lead acoustic guitar over a rhythm one for a couple of tracks. “Clear Skies” is an agile, percussive blues number using jazz chords, while “The First Day Of Autumn” closes out the album with a gentle folk tune.°° Liberally alternating between fully chorded attacks and single-line barrages, Coryell is lick machine on The Lift, sounding much closer to that twenty-four year old spring chicken than a guy about to enter his eighth decade on earth. The Lift could have been a time capsule from forty years plus ago opened up to demonstrate how Coryell used to sound like. But it isn’t; the original fusion guitarist remains as sharp and energetic today as he ever did. And you best believe this ol’ guy can still rock his ass off. Fortaken: http://somethingelsereviews.com°° You don´t even have to be a fan of his or a guitar aficionado to dig this disc; anyone who likes that old school funky rock-jazz with a few delectable diversions will find a lot to like about it. The old Larry Coryell, the Father of Fusion Guitar, is back. -- Something Else! Also: http://www.widehiverecords.com/review-from-something-else/01 Going Up (Gregory Howe / Matt Montgomery) 3:32 02 Arena Blues (Larry Coryell / Gregory Howe / Matt Montgomery) 6:52 03 The Lift (Gregory Howe / Matt Montgomery) 4:47 04 Lafayette (Larry Coryell / Gregory Howe / Matt Montgomery) 3:33 05 Clear Skies (Larry Coryell) 3:48 06 Rough Cut 3:59 07 Alternative Recollection (Matt Montgomery) 4:57 08 Broken Blues (Gregory Howe) 3:20 09 Counterweight (Matt Montgomery) 3:45 10 Stadium Wave (Larry Coryell) 5:46 11 Wild Rye (Larry Coryell) 4:05 12 First Day of Autumn (Tracey Coryell) 3:50-------------------------------------------------------------------Discography as leader:Lady Coryell (1968)Coryell (1969)Spaces (1970) with John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Miroslav Vitous, Chick CoreaBarefoot Boy (1971)Fairyland (1971) rec. live at Montreux Jazz FestivalLarry Coryell at the Village Gate (1971) with Melvyn Bronson (bass), Harry Wilkinson (drums)Offering (1972) with Harry Wilkinson (composer of title track), Melvyn Bronson, Steve Marcus, Mike MandelThe Real Great Escape (1973)The Restful Mind (1975) with Ralph Towner, Glen Moore, Collin WalcottPlanet End (1975)Larry Coryell/Philip Catherine – Twin House (1976)The Lion and the Ram (1976)Two for the Road (1977) with Steve KhanBack Together Again (1977) with Alphonse MouzonDifference (1978)Splendid (1978) with Philip CatherineStanding Ovation (1978)European Impressions (1978)Tributaries (1979)Young Django (1979) with Stephane GrappelliBoléro (1981)Round Midnight (1983) with Fumio KarashimaTogether (1985) with Emily RemlerSketches of Coryell (1996)Spaces Revisited (1997)Cause and Effect (1998) with Steve Smith, Tom Coster, Victor WootenPrivate Concert (Live) (1999)Monk, Trane, Miles & Me (1999) with John Hicks, Willie Williams, Santi Debriano, Yoron IsraelCount's Jam Band Reunion (2001) with Steve MarcusGypsy Blood and Voodoo Crossing (2002) – Jimi Hendrix tributes with Paul Santa MariaThree Guitars (2003) with Badi Assad, John AbercrombieTricycles (2004)Electric (2005) with Lenny White, Victor BaileyTraffic (2006) with Lenny White, Victor BaileyLaid Back & Blues: Live at the Sky Church in Seattle (2006)Larry Coryell with the Wide Hive Players (2011)Montgomery (2011) Patuxent Records with John Colianni piano and James Cammack bassDuality (2011) Random Acts Records duet with Kenny Drew Jr. on pianoThe Lift (2013)